A Leap from the Portrait Hole
by Daphne
Summary: From the Fat Lady's POV, a strange story by Daphne! Please read and reviw!!!


A Leap from the Portrait Hole

I watched from the crack in the wall. It was getting dark and I could see them talking. I caught a few words, but that was all until I fell into a deep slumber.....

I woke the next morning bright and early, and joined the Ravenclaw Portrait, Mr. Baggums, to watch the sunrise. Yes, it was a beautiful morning, but soon the children would wake and I have to let them out, right?

My name? I am known as "The Fat Lady", but no one knows my real name. I was transported here many centuries ago, right after the last original, founding teachers died. It is actually very nice.. Oh! Mustn't get distracted! Here they come!

"I can't believe how much homework Snape gave us last night! It was awful!"

"I finished it early, during class after I finished my assignment. And what did you do, hmm? Watch Seamus Finnigan explode Fillibuster fireworks in a Slytherin's cauldron. I can't believe you two!"

"It was pretty funny though, eh Hermione! Hey Harry, who's gonna win the game of quidditch tonight, Ravenclaw or Slytherin?"

That was all I heard until they walked off. Oh, who's "they"? They're Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. Quite a trio! Reminds me of some other students a few years back.... Oh! Can't daydream! Lots of students to let out here!

Today is All Hallow's Eve! Oops, don't call it that any more, what is it? Hallow's Dream? What did you say? Oh, yes, Halloween. We are having a party tonight, I will be watching it with Mrs. Pratchet, in a very small portrait in the Great Hall.

There go the last of the students. No, wait! Is that Seamus Finnigan being dragged to Dumbledore's office by Prof. McGonagall? Gee, would have thought that it would have been one of those Weasley twins, still can't tell them apart...

**

Guess what I just heard? The stupid "knight" picture that challenges students on the way to Divination has been moved! He has been replaced by the portrait of the original divination teacher. She's seriously weird. Always talking about things that already happened but for her, it's the future. Weird woman, but by George here comes Mrs. Pratchet! What a gossiper!

"Hello dearie! How might you be t'day Mrs. Pratchet?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm fine! And you? The party's beginning in 10 minutes or so. The portrait chef cooked vegetarian lasagna cause we know how that picky little young girl Sara is, bein' vegetarian and all! Dumbledore gave us a huge blank portrait on the ceiling, so we get to look from a whole new angle! So what are you waiting for?"

Off she went, and I raced after her. Mrs. Pratchet isn't old, but she sure isn't young! And what a gossiper! Did I already mention that?

**

Gosh, it looks like a masquerade ball! How fun! And look, there's the little trio! How cute! Hermione is dressed up like, a cat? Oh dear, it's so realistic! Almost like the time she turned into one from the polyjuice potion! Get a hold of yourself, ahem.. Ron is.. What is he, a snowman? I hope he doesn't melt! And what is Harry? He looks like the Phantom of the Opera! How neat! 

Uh-Oh, there goes the pale-faced boy and his two backups. I must say I dislike him. He called my best friend bad names!! They are going towards Harry, and talking... I wonder what is going on! Those two never get along.

The boy is dressed up like a muggle. I wonder if he is wearing those stupid looking sneakers on purpose! I would never go out in public in them! Oh well, that's his problem, I presume... 

If you were looking up at us, we would look like a bunch of people crowded in the corner of space. The starry sky around us goes on forever... It's so beautiful here!

Oh look at that Dumbledore! Why, I'd say he drank too much if it weren't a holiday! He's flirting with Professor McGonagall! Hagrid is here too. It's funny how portraits see everything, and never tell anyone. I guess it's our way of life!

"Yes Matilda?" I said to the woman standing next to me.

"Oh my, what a surprise! You know that young thing Sara? I went to go call on her to attend the party, and she was no where to be found! I looked all over the place, finally finding her in the basement with the discarded portrait of Gilderoy Lockhart. They must have been seeing each other for weeks! They were sure getting along, very well!"

"Well you know young people these days! Especially the men, don't court women like they used to!" said Mrs. Pratchet, butting in the conversation.

I decided to leave them to gossip. That is other people's business! I can't believe them sometimes...

I might as well go back now. Some Gryffindors are beginning to leave and they will need to be let in. I need some rest to! I hope no one wakes me in the middle of the night either! Some nights, the door opens and closes with no one there! I think it may be Nearly Headless Nick, he's been here almost as long as I have! Oh, here come Harry and Ron... I wonder where Hermione is?

Ron was laughing. "I bet Crabbe and Goyle couldn't see their hand in front of their faces without Malfoy's help!"

"Yeah! Hey, where's Hermione? I thought she was right behind us!"

"Aww, she'll catch up. Gee Harry! You never cared so much about Hermione before! I think you like her!"

"Oy! Shut up Ron! And I can surely say that you have absolutely no feelings for Lavendar!"

"Hey, I'm going to ask her out soon. It's better that you can say for her!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, I....."

Unfortunately, that's all I heard until they went into their dormitories. I'll ask the mirror in the morning what they said. Mirrors are so smart, they remember everything. I don't see how they do it!

They remind me of a man I once knew. He would talk about me all the time, and we eventually got married. The man I was married to was sweet, very shy, handsome, and in a way went to Hogwarts too! It was love at first sight. Then, I was put under a curse. I was trapped in a portrait until I gave up my life and magic to save another. I haven't seen anyone in dear need of life and magic. In the afterlife, you don't need magic, and I would like to see my husband in the next hundred years or so. It's been so long!

So I have waited. I can't complain! It's been the most interesting job, but I do miss him.

**

I watched the Gryffindor 6th years (that includes Harry, Ron, and Hermione) the rest of the next day. I totally forgot to ask the mirror, I don't mean to invade someone else's personal privacy, but everyone at Hogwarts know that "the walls don't listen. The people in the walls do." That's my favorite saying. The trio are planning to go into the Forbidden Forest tonight, I won't tell, but I'd like to see what they're doing. I will resume a ghost-like form, and follow them. I love all the Gryffindor students with all my heart, but I love them especially, like my own children. It's hard to let them go after their seventh year!

Ahh, I will go back to the portrait and wait for them. They will probably use their invisibility cloak, which I recently found out they had from the portrait in the highest tower, so I will follow them by sound. More than likely, they'll take it off by the time they're in the forest, so I can follow them like that then.

Ah, they're coming out of the hole. Here I go!

"Entiritias Formailitus" I whispered.

I had never been out of the walls for several centuries. It felt great to be 3-D again! Now, I followed only their whispers and footsteps. Hermione kept whispering loudly about how "this isn't such a good idea" and they both hushed her up once they were in the forest. It's not safe, but I will protect them from harm if it arises. We usually let the children do their own thing.

"So where is Malfoy?!? I thought he'd meet us.." Hermione screamed. All of the sudden, from behind me, something shoots a black arrow, covered in the blue blood of a gondilia, a monster living in the desert whose blood taked the magic from a wizard, and speech from a muggle. It pierces Hermione's stomach like jello. Even if she lives, she'll never be able to do magic again, leaving an internal scar.

I immediately take out my dusty wand and out flies Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, and it chases away the person shooting arrows. Then I made myself visible.

Hermione's heart was still barely beating, it was on it's last run. This was my chance to go home!

"Harry! Ron! I am Georgia Gryffindor, wife of Godric, also known as "The Fat Lady", the portrait on your common room . A long time ago, a curse was bestowed upon me, that I would be a portrait and not die until someone is in need of life and magic. I have to give both up for it, then I'll be able to die and see the love of my life again. Hermione Granger! I give you my life and my magic! Good as new! Be good with it, and Harry?"

"Yes, Fat La-, I mean, Mrs. Gryffindor?"

"Don't let her go."

Within a moment, Hermione was alive and Dumbledore needed to hire a new portrait. Georgia Gryffindor found what she had waited for, and all was peaceful for the time being.

A/N: I loved writing this. It was so much fun! It's not very long, but it's interesting to think about who The Fat Lady really is, and why she's there. Make up your own epilogue, though I always fancy Hermione and Harry together forever. And Ron and Lavendar.. Anyway! Show me the reviews! - Daphne


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